William Alington (architect)

William Hildebrand Alington
Born 18 November 1929
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealander
Occupation Architect
Buildings

Alington House
Wellington Meteorological Office
Upper Hutt Civic Centre

Wellington High School

William (Bill) Hildebrand Alington (born 18 November 1929) is a New Zealand Modernist architect, whose work has been awarded nationally, and recognised internationally.

He was the husband of New Zealand historian Margaret Alington.

Biographic details and major works

Education and early years

William Alington was born in Lower Hutt, Wellington in 1929. Alington began his career as an architectural cadet in the New Zealand Ministry of Works (MoW) in 1949, before studying architecture at the Auckland University College School of Architecture (Auckland, New Zealand) from 1951-1955. Early influences of this time include Gordon Wilson, who was the Government Architect at the time, MoW cadet supervisor James (Jim) Beard, who was to become something of a mentor to Alington during the early part of his career, and Professor Richard Toy of Auckland University College School of Architecture. Upon returning to the MoW after his graduation, Alington was assigned to the Hydro-Electricity department where he worked for a short, but influential, time under Chris Valenduuk. Here Alington was responsible for designing the Bulls Water Tower (1956), and the Power House and Control Building for the Waipapa Dam (1956).

In 1955 Alington married Margaret Hilda Broadhead. They have three children: Elizabeth Hilda (1959), Giles Hildebrand (1961), and Catherine Beatrice (1962).

In 1956 Alington left New Zealand, travelling to London, Europe; and on a Fulbright Travelling Scholarship, to Illinois in the United States. During 1956-1957 he worked in the London office of Robert Matthew and Johnson-Marshall on, among other projects, New Zealand House (London, England), and Ruddington Secondary Modern School (Nottingham, England). During this time he and his wife Margaret embarked on a tour of western Europe, fulfilling his desire to see firsthand the large medieval cathedrals, as well as key works of Modernist architecture including Le Corbusier’s Ronchamp Chapel and Unité d’Habitation in Marseille.

From 1957–1959 Alington completed a M.Arch degree at the University of Illinois’ School of Architecture (Urbana, U.S.), during which time he had occasion to meet with Mies van der Rohe. While in the United States Alington took the opportunity to visit buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe.

The Ministry of Works Years

On his return to New Zealand Alington resumed work as an architect with the MoW, with notable buildings of this time including the Gisborne Courthouse (Gisborne, 1962), and the Meteorological Office (Wellington, 1965).

Alington also designed his own house (Alington House, Wellington, 1962); an important building in his oeuvre, revealing the strong influences of both Mies van der Rohe, and Alington’s former cadet supervisor at the MoW, James Albert Beard. The Alington house was awarded an NZIA Wellington Branch Enduring Architecture award in 2002, and an NZIA (National) Enduring Architecture award in 2007. It was also listed as a Category 1 Protected Building on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust register in 2007.

Private Practice(s)

Upper Hutt Civic Centre; Administration building (left) and Council Chambers (right). (photograph by Michael Dudding)
Wellington High School (photograph by Michael Dudding)

In 1965, Alington moved into private practice, accepting a partnership offered by Allot Gabites and James Beard in their architectural practice of Gabites and Beard. This partnership merged with Toomath and Wilson in 1971, becoming Gabites Toomath Beard Wilson and Partners. Although this ‘super-practice’ was to win the only two NZIA national medals awarded in 1972 (Alington for the Upper Hutt Civic Centre, and Toomath for the Karori Teachers’ College), the firm proved to be short-lived, and in that same year splintered under the weight of too many personalities. William Toomath and Derek Wilson took on new partners, becoming Toomath Wilson Irvine Anderson (TWIA), while Beard formed his own practice under the name of James Beard & Co. Alington remained with Al Gabites, and together with Derrick Edmondson formed Gabites Alington Edmonson. In 1978, George Porter joined the practice as a partner, prompting yet another name change to Gabites Porter and Partners. In 1983, Alington set up his own architectural practice: Alington Group Architects. He retired from professional practice in 2000.

Much of Alington’s work during the 1970s has taken the form of institutional projects including work for civic councils, and educational institutions such as schools and universities. Some examples of these are:

Alington has also carried out a large number of church projects, including: Stokes Valley Methodist Church (Stokes Valley, 1966), St Michael’s Anglican Church Extension (Wellington, 1971), St Peter’s Anglican Church Alterations (Wellington, 1978), St Mary’s Anglican Church Extension 1988 (New Plymouth), Karori Baptist Church (Wellington, 1990), St Mary’s Anglican Church Extension (Wellington, 1993). He was a Wellington Anglican Diocesan Synods Person 1972-1990.

In 1972, Alington was appointed Honorary Lecturer and Tutor at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Architecture & Design, lecturing in architectural history. He also taught at the University of Auckland as a Visiting Lecturer in 1982.

Other professional posts held include: NZIA Branch Committee Executive Member (1961–1969), NZIA Journal Assistant Editor (1964–1969), NZIA Councillor, Vice President, Branch Chairman (1977–1979), and Architectural Centre President (1970–1972).

Awards

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.